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The riders are simply the best in the world", said Dowell. To hold that score the whole time while watching every rider go, and to stay on top—it’s unbelievable. He credits doing his signature twix (a simultaneous tailwhip and barspin air) over a channel gap, as well as a cannonball-to-barspin and flair whips in establishing his high score.
The Spine Mini is a classic FISE event that really showcases ramp riding at its purest form. The deck was packed with riders from all over the globe with a variety of styles—making for an incredible contest full of energy. Torres and Dowell returned to the podium for the second year in a row in the FISE Spine Ramp Finals. Torres improved his position this year with the top spot, while Dowell remained in a respectable third place. When describing the scene, Torres said he felt “like a rockstar being on top of a stage with the light shining in front of a crowd,” and continued on with, “you don’t see events like this anywhere else in the world.”
Since its inception in 1997, FISE has become the longest running action sports event in Europe. Its roots are in Montpellier, where the weekend crowd swells to over 600,000 people, and their worldwide stops include Japan, Canada, Hungary, and China. The international reach of FISE attracts the best athletes from around the world.
Dowell summed up his great weekend as “only another chapter that leads to Tokyo 2020.”
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.